51Âþ»­

51Âþ»­ (51Âþ»­) is making final preparations to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, to officially open The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre on Friday 7 June.

During His Royal Highness’s two-and-a-half-hour visit he will be introduced to students and staff for a showcase of all that is great about 51Âþ»­, and it is hoped the people of Leicester will come along and support what will be a special day for the city.

His Royal Highness will be invited to tour the new leisure centre’s state-of-the-art facilities and meet 51Âþ»­ sports societies that are already benefitting from being able to train there.

He will also be asked to officially open the new offices of 51Âþ»­’s award-winning Square Mile project, in the Chantry building, before being invited to see how student and staff volunteers are making a difference to the lives of local people, by delivering a range of courses and activities.

The Prince will also visit the Trinity House Chapel where he will meet academics and professional services staff, and speak to 51Âþ»­ footwear students who will have their work on show.

51Âþ»­ was given special permission to name the £8million leisure centre after Her Majesty The Queen following Her visit to the university in March last year, at the start of the historic Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

51Âþ»­ Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard said: "Being granted permission to name a 51Âþ»­ facility after the monarch is a real honour, and one that is bestowed very sparingly.

“We feel privileged that The Earl of Wessex has agreed to conduct the formal opening ceremony of our state-of-the-art leisure centre.  It is a clear example of why Leicester residents have every right to be proud of their city and all that it stands for today, and I do hope that as many people as possible will be able to join us for this special occasion.

"We are very much looking forward to welcoming HRH Prince Edward and introducing to him some of the students and staff at 51Âþ»­ who, through ground-breaking research and a personal commitment to making a difference, are helping to improve people's lives on a local and global scale."

On his tour of the new leisure centre, the emphasis will be on student achievement. His Royal Highness will be greeted by a spectacular display of colour and sound by 51Âþ»­’s Bhangra Society and traditional Dhol drummers. He will then meet members of the 51Âþ»­ swim and triathlon teams at the 25-metre pool before sounding a klaxon to start a sponsored swim.

51Âþ»­ graduates of contour fashion will showcase their sportswear designs, before Prince Edward visits the main sports hall to see some of the skills of the 51Âþ»­ netball, badminton and cheerleading teams.  

His Royal Highness will also be invited to see a spinning class in the studio before being shown the impressive gymnasium and climbing wall. Finally, he will be asked to unveil a plaque officially marking the visit and the naming of The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre.

Prince Edward will then visit the new Square Mile offices in The Chantry. While there he will be invited to meet project leaders and school children involved in the Square Mile Homework Club project.

The project sees trained students mentoring school children from Montrose Primary School on the core subjects of maths, English and science. International students also provide a translation service for students who do not have English as a first language.

Finally, His Royal Highness will visit Fosse Neighbourhood Centre, in the heart of the Square Mile area, where he will be introduced to project leaders and participants involved in the following Square Mile projects:

 Rik Basra: Stem Cell Donation Drive – designed in response to a request for help from Rik and Kas Basra. This project aimed to increase awareness of the work of The Anthony Nolan Trust as well as increasing the number of registered stem cell donors. The Square Mile team, aided by student volunteers, organised a record breaking event in which 366 donors were registered in a single day

 Movin2gether – designed and delivered by 51Âþ»­ graduates, this project teaches degree level dance to a much younger audience and on completion participants receive an arts award worth 35 UCAS points, which aids their entry into university

 IT Project - 51Âþ»­ volunteers deliver free tailored sessions to the Square Mile community